Following the recent highly successful Inmates Art Show, "Timely Reflections'', held at the City Hall last month, the organisers would like to take this opportunity to thank those persons without whose help the show would not have been possible.

Special thanks go to the Commissioner of Prisons, Mr. E.L. Dyer, for his support and to the staff at Westgate Correctional Facility, in particular, Principal Officer Merrill Cann.

Had it not been for the Bermuda Society of Arts, who generously allowed the use of the gallery, the event could not have been held. We are extremely grateful to Society president Mr. Bruce Stuart and curator Ms Karen Carswell for their assistance and wisdom. Their support of this venture did not go unnoticed and embodies the society's commitment to exposing budding artists to the community and promoting the visual arts in Bermuda.

The Bermuda Press Off-Cut Dept., through Mr. Dean Rogers, graciously provided off cuts, which were used by the inmates to creatively mat the images.

Artcetera were also instrumental in providing materials.

Special thanks are extended to Mrs. Cornelia Simmons for her help in hanging the show.

The inmates who participated in the show were extremely motivated and were encouraged by the public response to their works.

This show featured the work of inmates from the Westgate Correctional Facility. It is hoped that a similar event will be held in the future, including the work of inmates from the other two facilities. We also are undertaking to secure a sponsor for future shows.

LESTER HARNETT, SHARON SWAN AND CHRISTOPHER GRIMES Timely Reflections Organisers Recital couldn't be beat! May 3, 1999 Dear Sir, Last evening I had the great pleasure of attending a drum recital by the Bermuda Drum Academy.

I must give Mr. Kevin Maybury and his students a big round of applause. It was an excellent performance. To the parents of the students please continue to support them.

You can take my word on it, those who did not attend missed a very exciting and stimulating show.

PLEASED BY PERFORMANCE City of Hamilton P.s. To the two women who complained about the late start "Poor You!'' Your have no idea what you missed.

TV channel propaganda May 6, 1999 Dear Sir, In non-democratic countries the Government feeds information to its journalists.

In democratic countries, the explicit role of journalists is to remain absolutely independent of their government and exercise objective judgment and accuracy when reporting.

This Government's Telecommunications Minister has announced plans for the Bermuda Government to set up its own broadcast medium in order to disseminate information to the public! Can the public be so naive as not to recognise that such an activity fits the very definition of propaganda? Propaganda is the organised scheme for the propagation of information or doctrine. Obviously any Government medium will disseminate the "facts'' as seen by the party in power! I hope to God there is not a single self-respecting journalist in Bermuda who will throw professional code out of the window and agree to work for Government or indeed not oppose such a monstrous infringement on free thought.

I am stunned that there has not been more of a public protest at such an idea, but then again we are still dealing with a latent euphoria on behalf of many trusting Bermudians, who think it is perfectly acceptable for a Premier to shun the press, simply because it does not report verbatim her very exhaling.

DR. PLAQUE COULDWIN St. George's Sensitivity needed May 3, 1999 Dear Sir, Why is that when an individual is assaulted, it is reported in the Press as "an assault'', but when a woman is sexually assaulted, it is reported as "an alleged sexual assault''? The Press is probably not maliciously attempting to weaken the credibility of rape victims. However, by undermining claims of sexual assault in its reporting, the Press is pandering to the out-dated stereotypes that the complainant is probably lying, and that women systemically "cry wolf'' in sexual assault cases. Mr. Editor, how about a little sensitivity? DOUBTING THOMAS City of Hamilton God made poison ivy too May 5, 1999 Dear Sir, In response to letters written to the editor by Dr. Clarke Godwin and Jahkey in the May 5 edition of The Royal Gazette . Yes, God did create marijuana, God also created poison ivy, but that doesn't mean I am going to smoke it or eat it.

The Creator has endowed us with free will, for an example check out Genesis chapter three. God did not stop Adam and Eve from doing what they did, they had a choice, and with that the law says, you have a choice of driving on the left or right hand side of the road. If you chose to drive on the right hand side of the road you will suffer the consequences, both physical and legal.

The truth is marijuana is dangerous, just like alcohol can be dangerous and tobacco is dangerous. The fact is, that if we tried to get alcohol and tobacco through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA, US) today, with all the dangers we know about them, we would probably fail.

So, Dr. Godwin if you choose to use poison ivy or marijuana, you will suffer the consequences. To Mr. or Mrs. Jahkey, there are studies to prove the effects of marijuana that you mention. Show me the studies to prove that it will assist and benefit man.

RODNEY N.S. TROTT Hamilton Parish Thanks for the help May 6, 1999 Dear Sir, Last Friday saw the formal re-opening of the eastern end of Water Street, St.

George's by the Mayor and Corporation of the Town.

The St. George's Foundation would like to publicly thank all those who contributed to making this important street project such a great success.

The Corporation of St. George's managed the project with financial support from the Department of Works and Engineering for underground work.

Major financial supporters were the Bank of Bermuda Ltd., W.J. Boyle and Sons Limited, Mrs. Rita Rothwell and the White Horse Tavern Ltd.

The architect and urban designer was Mr. Stanley Kennedy of S.G.K. Urban Design Associates and the contractors for the project were Richardson and Wright Construction. Their efforts combined with earlier work by Belco and BTC to eliminate overhead lines are resulting in the most attractive commercial street in Bermuda. They deserve a great deal of credit for this achievement.

Projects such as this and others which are incorporated in the Corporation of St. George's Town Heritage Plan will improve St. George's as a place to live and do business as well as bring it to the forefront as a destination for visitors.

LOUIS MOWBRAY Chairman St. George's Foundation Saddened by litter May 7, 1999 Dear Sir, I joined the walkers for part of the end to end between Hamilton and Southampton as I was anxious to walk on the Railway Trail and felt that there was safety in numbers.

I must commend the organisers for the job that they did providing refreshments and encouragement along the way for their participants. However I was saddened and embarrassed that despite all their efforts to provide trash receptacles at the refreshment points and again 100 yards on at each point, walkers still threw not only banana peels and paper cups, but also plastic bottles and anything else they no longer needed as they walked. As I was more then halfway back of the pack, my experience of a nature walk was shattered by these litterers.

How can we expect our children to take pride in their Island, if we cannot set the example! Would it have been such a hardship to hold onto their "belongings'' until the next refreshment stop? Perhaps their sponsors should add a proviso to their donation that not only should they complete the walk, but they should not litter! VANESSA ROBERTS Southampton